Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle | Bill Birnbaum

Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle | Bill Birnbaum | Good Buy for Developing Strategic Thinking

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Strategic Thinking...

	Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle Bill Birnbaum Douglas Mountain Publishing, 2004 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Strategy consultant, Bill Birnbaum, shares his lessons learned during 24 years helping management teams develop their business strategy. His anecdotal stories offer important lessons and also an enjoyable read. He offers techniques for...(1) Achieving and maintaining focus, (2) Understanding and responding to markets and customers, (3) Leading and motivating people, (4) Managing both projects and processes.

The Opportunity Grid is a real gem!...worth the value of the whole book!

I generally share most of the sentiments expressed by earlier reviewers who gave positive responses to this book.

In the light of my own consultancy work, understanding the Opportunity Grid (Chapter 6) alone, with its many diverse applications in business, is worth the value of the whole book.

Let me share a little secret with readers. If you synergise the power of this Opportunity Grid (with some adaptation, of course) with the power tools introduced in 'Innovation Formula' by Michel Robert, your analytical as well as opportunity sensing capabilities become exponential. Trust me!

The Opportunity Grid is really a brilliant piece of work by the author (even though it has its origins from George Steiner's pioneering work). Kudos!

The author's artful illustration of Pareto's Law or the 80/20 Rule in business, although it is not a new concept, is refreshing.

This wonderful book can be best summed up by using the author's own approach to strategic thinking, as outlined below:

"Successful managers or succesful mangement teams focus on the four critical pieces of the strategic puzzle:

- rather than try to accomplish "everything," they diligently maintain F-O-C-U-S;
- they develop & maintain intimate understanding of their M-A-R-K-E-T-S;
- they truly care about their P-E-O-P-L-E;
- they carefully manage their P-R-O-C-E-S-S-E-S;

This is one more good book to be added on to your Strategic Thinker's Bookshelf.

As a conclusion, & without hesitation, I rate this book a 5.

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Good Buy for Developing Strategic Thinking

The book offers a refreshing explanation of the most important concepts and techniques in strategic thinking based on what the author terms "a four piece puzzle" made up of focus, process, people and markets. This is a practical no-nonsense book, based on the author's extensive experience and sharp intellect.

The book should be required reading for those interested in strategic management, organizational change, the future of business and industry as well as strategy consultants. The stories and examples are right-on, enlightening, useful and very meaningful. This is a unique book which is a significant and welcome advance from the traditional strategic management process.

I particularly enjoyed reading about the opportunity grid which helps managers conceptualize and envision their specific strategic options. I also highly appreciated the insight and advice on how to successfully build knowledge in my organization which is key to be successful and competitive in today's highly competitive operating environment.

All-in-all, a well written book that is among the good books that you will find on the subject.

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A handy and easy-to-follow guide for managers and planners

Skilled strategy consultant Bill Birnbaum presents Strategic Thinking: A Four Piece Puzzle, a handy and easy-to-follow guide for managers and planners concerning basic business concerns. From adapting to the product life cycle in a market (such as by anticipating the inevitable decline in demand for most new products and compensating by introducting a new product as the old one decreases in popularity) to getting the best out of one's people, to judiciously applying the "80-20 rule" (i.e. 20% of the input is usually responsible for 80% of the output, and total output can be significantly improved by focusing on that 20% - but the rule is not an absolute), to learning how to focus on a few objectives and get them done right, Strategic Thinking is an overall winner written in straightforward, accessible terms. Recommended for business managers and decision makers of all skill and experience levels.

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THE way Business Bestsellers should be written

If you've read many business books, you'd notice they often can be summed up in 3 pages. The rest are all padding and fluff to make it into a book.

This one's different. This book gives you a great overview of the most important things relating to strategic thinking. It covers a lot of ground, and everything it covers, it covers enough so you can apply to it. No fluff. Bill's style is easy to follow and is jargon-free. Probably the kind of consultant you want to hire.

The 4 pieces of the puzzle certainly covers it - Focus, Markets, People, Process. All in a small book. Only an EXCELLENT author could put so much in so little. Read 10 other books on the subject if you're busy, but read this if you're busier - this book should cover those 10 books!

If you are looking for an excellent treatise on strategic thinking without all the bull and fluff you find in many books (and some consultancies), then this is it. Quick read, quickly reap rewards.

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Who knew it could be so easy?

Definitely on my recommended book list. A must read for women in business.

Susan Bock
The Success Coach for Women in Business
www.SusanBockSolutions.com

reviews: page 1, 2

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